S02.E02: Like Breathing Again

[DanaK]

Quote

While breaking up a bonfire party, the station 42 crew is called to complete a dangerous and highly complex cave rescue, on FIRE COUNTRY, Friday, Feb. 23 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+

 

[Danielg342]

Well Vince, this episode was definitely not Scorsese either.

This show is incredibly stupid. I don't need to spill too much ink on that one.

...but, if there is one redeeming factor, one thing that makes this show at least somewhat watchable, is the fact that at least there's a humanity to it and the characters, no matter how dumb they act, at least feel real.

There's nothing like watching a show and feeling like you're watching a bunch of robots work out the plot.

At least this show can say they're not robotic.

One other thing this episode reminded me of are the show's unsung heroes in Billy Burke and Diane Farr. I keep on thinking about how much better this show would be if the story focused on the Leone parents instead of the Leone kid this show is designed around.

It dawned on me about the reason why.

The key difference is that the elder Leones- at least now, just Vince- are people who actually do things within the story. Vince goes out there, he makes decisions and hopes they work.

He actually gets to influence what goes on in the story and has actual reactions to it. We can quibble about whether or not those choices and reactions actually make sense, but there's no question that Vince actually does things.

Bode?

He feels like merely a spectator. Sure, he plays "hero ball" from time to time and does so a bit too often, but, more often than not, all we see him do is take orders, brood over his life, and largely, just do as he's told.

I can't really think of any episode where Bode truly drove the plot and influenced the events in the episode.

He's just a guy for whom "things happen to him" and all he does in response is put on that sad looking puppy face that Max Thieirot calls "an expression".

There's a reason why Bode drags this show down and- apart from Thieirot's limited acting ability- it's because we're forced to spend a lot of time with a character who literally does nothing.

Simply put, that's just not interesting.

It really reinforces the idea that this show lost a lot of its focus and a lot of its real uniqueness when the writers shifted the focus away from Three Rock.

Maybe the writers had their reasons. Maybe they were worried that centering the show around Three Rock would make this show little more than "Orange Is The New Black-" or "Prison Break in the country". Maybe they felt they didn't have the material to really make a series out of it.

...and, truth be told, this show works better as an ensemble so we don't spend too much time with an actor who's in way over his head.

...but, aside from getting a better actor to play Bode, the show accomplishes very little trying to shoehorn a character as its lead when said character does very little to affect the plots.

Which really only reinforces the idea that sending Bode back to prison to close S1 was as terrible a decision as the show could have made.

If Bode had gotten back out on parole, he could have returned to Three Rock as a volunteer and we could have seen his life and how he navigates being free once again.

Helping the other inmates and acting as a somewhat surrogate captain could have given Bode some real purpose, and having him be a free man allows him to actually interact with the townspeople and actually do things with them.

Like having an actual episode where Bode actually gets to interact with his (supposed) daughter and actually watch them both spend time with each other and go through the emotions of a father meeting his daughter for the first time.

Instead of this where all we saw was Bode watch his daughter from afar and do nothing but brood.

Like he always does.

[Artsda]

I really like Gabriella's new in-laws.  I hope this shoe has her actually marry him and not go back to Bode.  She seems like a better character now.  

Three Rock needs Cap back, Eve won't get their respect and she's annoying all. 

So did Sharon cheat? She's really more annoying than before if that's possible.  I'm surprised she even went home even ordered. 

[buckboard]

So Sharon's husband didn't visit her for the six months she was away?  Because Bode needed him?  For six months?  Explain to me how that makes sense.  

I have no doubt that Gabrielle and poor, sad, heroic Bode are the writers end game.  Either she decides that Bode is her true love or even if she winds up marrying her fiance, he'll die in a horrible accident at a fire, freeing her to get back with Bode.  

Bode just now figured out that there is a section of the  Penal Code that a prisoner may have his sentence reduced by performing a heroic act in a life-threatening situation?  He was performing heroic acts once a week last year and the Department of Corrections didn't see fit to consider that code section.  He was going into burning buildings.  Jumping off bridges into raging rivers.  Running into more burning buildings.  Carrying unconscious victims miles to safety.  Did I mention carrying unconscious victims out of burning buildings?

[Dowel Jones]

The only thing I enjoyed about this episode was Bode getting an ass chewing from Eve for leaving the fire crew and free lancing it.  That really is a serious offense.  But then she hugs him.  Wrong.

Hey, show, here's a fun fact.  Division Chiefs don't get demoted to Firefighter after being on rehab or fire assignment.  And firefighters don't get to wear their hair below the ears or collar while on duty, no matter how sexy they look.

"We don't sacrifice one life for the better good of everyone!"  We also don't make two victims where there used to be one, especially if the likelihood is that she's dead.  But we're glad that Gabrielle has been trained up and highly qualified as an underwater cave rescue technician, right?  I wonder what the water temp was.  No chance of hypothermia, I guess.

[Madding crowd]

I can’t stand Sharon. She has to be the center of attention at all times; guess we can see where Bodie gets it from. Don’t believe Vince stayed away from her for 6 months, they are the most romantic couple who ever lived ! They need to do something different with Bodie than having him “go rogue “ and get in trouble.

[cameron]

Sharon it a real piece of work.  Speeding through those red lights and endangering other drivers isn't a great look and now Vince is also taking on the tilted Captain's helmet look.

 

Edited February 24 by cameron

[Sake614]

Oh look, Cole tells Bode that he should be a hero for Genevieve and Bode goes off the reservation…again. So what if his crew needed him to fight the fire, he has to prove that he’s a good dad, even if he may not be the kid’s father. And he’s boo hooing to Cara that all the other dads look forward to seeing their kids and why isn’t his kid there to visit? Even though she has absolutely NO IDEA he could be her father! So glad Cara pointed out that it wouldn’t be a visit but a first meeting and she didn’t want Genevieve to meet him while he’s still incarcerated. Slow your roll dude. And he’s still making googly eyes at Gabriella. Diego is a much healthier relationship for her. She should stick with him and not look back. 
 

did Sharon cheat on Vince????????? Or did she just flirt with the new guy and he got the wrong idea? I sure as hell hope it’s the latter. 
 

honestly not sure how much more I can take of this show. It’s only the beginning of s2 and I’m already bored to tears…

[circumvent]

I am bored too. It was hard to watch because there is so many absurds.

First, we are forced to swallow the ridiculousness of Sharon being back so fast after transplant and not only that, instead of being in the "desk duty" she is in the frontlines. But I guess there is no point complaining because it was forced down our throats. 

Now she is a "rebel", because she is mad about something in her life she puts lives in danger by driving like a maniac. One aside about the production/direction though: when she was driving and barely dodging the other cars, at least once the light was yellow, so the other car was the one crossing a red light.

The writers could at least made her childish rebellious thing about her inability to work because of the transplant. They could have written her as still recovering, able to come and go - still a stretch but fine - but not passing the physical and psychological tests to go back to work. See? I am far from a creative writers and I can come up with an old and TV trope that works better than what those writers came up with.

I still don't understand where she was for 6 months but frankly, I don't really care.

The only person I liked was Cara. She is right about the kid and her position on the daddy issue. Freddy 2.0 had no business telling Bode what to do but maybe this will give the character some dimension. TBD. 

Then there is the other friend - can't remember the name now - who lies to Bode about the kid and lies to Cara that her lies because he knows more than anyone else what is best for other people's lives? Such an arrogance, I can't.

Gabriela was a diver, that does't automatically makes her a swimmer that can hold her breath for longer than other people. It just makes her someone who spent more time in a pool, or near a pool. And no, there is no place in this planet where a firefighter will risk lives of other firefighters to save one victim, specially when they don't even know if there is a life to save. Vince is a terrible chief. He is nice, that's all.

And the show continues with its trademark of a fire burning right in front of firefighter while they exchange memories, life events, personal matters, or just stand there wondering what happened to that bird they saw three days ago.

The acting gets worse, and it is spreading. It is like an epidemic where the actors level their acting to the worst on scene. There was a long strike, why couldn't some of them take some classes? Gabriela is the worst, then there is Bode, Eve (who still thinks she is in a stage and not in front of a camera). I don't get the top credit for Diane Farr. She is terrible, overacts all the time.

I am "this close" to just giving up on trying to get through an episode.  

 

[cameron]

2 hours ago, circumvent said:

I am bored too. It was hard to watch because there is so many absurds.

First, we are forced to swallow the ridiculousness of Sharon being back so fast after transplant and not only that, instead of being in the "desk duty" she is in the frontlines. But I guess there is no point complaining because it was forced down our throats. 

Now she is a "rebel", because she is mad about something in her life she puts lives in danger by driving like a maniac. One aside about the production/direction though: when she was driving and barely dodging the other cars, at least once the light was yellow, so the other car was the one crossing a red light.

The writers could at least made her childish rebellious thing about her inability to work because of the transplant. They could have written her as still recovering, able to come and go - still a stretch but fine - but not passing the physical and psychological tests to go back to work. See? I am far from a creative writers and I can come up with an old and TV trope that works better than what those writers came up with.

I still don't understand where she was for 6 months but frankly, I don't really care.

The only person I liked was Cara. She is right about the kid and her position on the daddy issue. Freddy 2.0 had no business telling Bode what to do but maybe this will give the character some dimension. TBD. 

Then there is the other friend - can't remember the name now - who lies to Bode about the kid and lies to Cara that her lies because he knows more than anyone else what is best for other people's lives? Such an arrogance, I can't.

Gabriela was a diver, that does't automatically makes her a swimmer that can hold her breath for longer than other people. It just makes her someone who spent more time in a pool, or near a pool. And no, there is no place in this planet where a firefighter will risk lives of other firefighters to save one victim, specially when they don't even know if there is a life to save. Vince is a terrible chief. He is nice, that's all.

And the show continues with its trademark of a fire burning right in front of firefighter while they exchange memories, life events, personal matters, or just stand there wondering what happened to that bird they saw three days ago.

The acting gets worse, and it is spreading. It is like an epidemic where the actors level their acting to the worst on scene. There was a long strike, why couldn't some of them take some classes? Gabriela is the worst, then there is Bode, Eve (who still thinks she is in a stage and not in front of a camera). I don't get the top credit for Diane Farr. She is terrible, overacts all the time.

I am "this close" to just giving up on trying to get through an episode.  

 

Too bad that Sharon didn't crash her motorcycle with her on it.

[possibilities]

When the ratings were great last season, I guess we should have known there would be no course correction. This show had so much potential. A great concept, but absolute shit execution. But apparently that's what the people want, in general. I actually think it's gotten worse.

[Dowel Jones]

8 hours ago, circumvent said:

I still don't understand where she was for 6 months but frankly, I don't really care.

She did make some mention of being on a large (campaign) fire for the last six months, which just piles on the absurdities.

[FnkyChkn34]

On 2/25/2024 at 2:42 PM, Dowel Jones said:

She did make some mention of being on a large (campaign) fire for the last six months, which just piles on the absurdities.

Shouldn't she have been on medical leave, recovering?

[KeithJ]

Sharon needs to learn how to ride a motorcycle.  There is no way that car should have been able to keep pace with her.

[b4pjoe]

On 2/24/2024 at 7:38 PM, Sake614 said:

honestly not sure how much more I can take of this show. It’s only the beginning of s2 and I’m already bored to tears…

On 2/25/2024 at 5:07 AM, circumvent said:

I am "this close" to just giving up on trying to get through an episode.

Same here. After two miserable episodes I can't continue. I hope for everyone's sake still watching that it gets better for you.